Envelope sealer



l June 24, 1930. B. ZUCKERMAN, JR 1,767,903.

ENVELOPE SEALER Filed Dec -21 1928 6 .r z@ 152 a d) 29 ,er

vE 16 1.9 I+ 8 Z1 36 inve-Mon.

Patented June 24, 1930 BENJAMIN zUcKER-MAN, JR., orv new YORK, N. Y;

Y ENVELOPE sEALiiia Application led December 21, 1928. Serial No. 327,567.

This invention relates -to an envelope sealer, and has for an object to provide an improved construction which may be applied to a wall or other supporter and which functions readily to seal envelopes of different sizes rapidly and eciently. s

Another object of the invention is to provide van envelope sealing device wherein means are presented for easily receiving and guiding the envelope and its flap so that the flap will be Vfirst moistened and then pressed to a sealed position.

A further object is to provide an envelope inoistening and sealing device wherein the flap is guided over a moistening member while the body of the envelope is guided to the rear of the moistening memberl and out of contact therewith, the arrangement being such that the flap after moistening is automatically pressed to a sealed position.

In the accompanying drawings,'

Figure 1 is a perspective View of part of a wall with an envelope moistener and sealer` shown in connection therewith, an envelope being shown mounted in the sealer;

Figure 2 is a longitudinal vertical sectional view through the envelope moistening and sealing` device shown in Figure 1, the section being taken approximately'on the line 2 of Figure 3;

Figure 3 is a transverse sectional View through Figure 2 approximately on the line 3 3;

Figure 4 is a perspective view of the water tank and certain associated parts;

Figure 5 is a perspective view of the resilient member used for guiding the flap against the moistening tape and for pressing the moistened flap to aV sealed position. f v

Referring to the accompanying drawings by numerals, 1 indicates a wall or support of any desired kind, said wall or support carrying screws or nails formed with heads, said screws and nails being adapted to pass through the enlarged openings 2` and 3 in the casing 4 and then enter the slots 5 and 6, whereby the device is properly mounted on the wall. The casing 4 is provided with sides 7 and 8 and ends 9 and 10. The side 7 is provided with a notch 11 forreceiving the turned-over part 12 of the resilient guide and sealing member 13. End 9 is provided with raised portions 14 adapted to snap intol the apertures 15 formed in the turned-down portion 16 which isan extension of the top of the water container 17. The end 10 is formed with a projecting portion 18 for the full height of the end. This projecting portion is merely a bent part of the end which merges into the side 8, and thereby a guiding. groove 19 is presented for the edgek ot the envelope 20. It will be noted tliat'the side 8 is spaced from the edge of the end 9 and also spaced from the wall 21 of the water container 17. The wall 21 is parallel with wall 8 but the opposite side of the container is provided with walls 22 and 23 arranged at angles as shown in Figure 4, whereby there will be an edge 24 around which the flap 25 is adapted to extend while the edge portion of the envelope is in the groove 19. Wall 23 merges into'a clamping portion 26 for clamping the moistening structure or wick 27 against wall 21 and' against the extensionv 28 of wall 21. By constructing the parts in this way the body of the envelope which passes along the wall 21 is not brought in Contact with the wick or moistening device 27, while on the other hand, the adhesive portion of the iap is forced into Contact with the tape or wick 27v by kthe section 29 or member 13. This member is bent at points 30 and 31, whereby the section 32 is positioned to resiliently press against the flap 25 for sealing the same efore the envelope leaves the device. By properlyl bending the guidingv and sealing member 13 section 32 may press to any desired extent against the flap to always provide automatically a proper sealing medium.

Referring again to the container 17 it will be understood that the same is provided with.

a removable cap 33, whereby water may be inserted into the container 'from time to time. Also, when this cap is in place water is fed from the container through capillary action and not through gravity, as the rareiaction in theupper part of the container willprevent an ordinary flow of water under the action of gravity. From Figure `4 Vreadily overcome whenever desired.

Vit will also be noted that the top plate 3 4 which is integral with the portion 16 1s formed with a raised guiding lug or eXtension 35 adapted to enter betweenV the flap and Vbody of the envelope as the edge of the envelope is first forced into-the groove 19 and the body rof the envelope is forced into rthe space or Vpassageway Slprovidedbetween the walls 8 and 21.

When it is desired to use the device the cap 33 may be grasped and the container- 17 pulled out of the casing 4. rlhis containy 1s ready for use and an envelope may be Y slid over the projection 35 and downwardly,

as shown in Figure 1. From this position it is pulled further downwardly kand in fact, pulled out the bottom of the casing 4. As the envelope moves downwardly the flap Q5 f strikes the surface 22 and then the surface 23 and'iinally is pressed by the portion 29 of the guide 18 against the wicl or moistening device 27. rlhe inclined portion 37 (Figure 2) finally guides the moistened flap back against .the body of the envelope and the section 32 presses the moistened flap tightly in c position as the envelope is pulled out the bottom of the device. lt will thus be seen that the flap only is moistened and that means are provided for sealing the flap after the moistening operation..

What I claim is 1.V An envelope sealer, comprising a casing, a bodily removable moistening device carried by said casing, said casing and moistening device presenting means for guiding an envelope, and a resilient member movably connected to said casing and positioned internally thereof for pressing the flap of the envelope against the moistening device and also for pressing the flap to a sealed position. 2. An envelope sealer, comprising a casing open at the top and bottom and provided with a slit at one edge for the full length thereof, a moistening device removably positioned in said casing and presenting a guiding wall for an envelope extending through said slit while the opposite wall of the slit is one side of theV casing, said moisteningdevice having a rounded progecting member for separating the flap of the envelope from the body, said moistening device having a moistening wick at the bottom thereof positioned to engage the adhesive carrying portion of the flap of said envelope as the envelope moves through the casing, and a resilient member formed with a portion for causing the Hap to press against said wick, and a second portion for causing the flap to be pressed against part of the envelope.

3. An envelope sealer including a casing formed with a pasageway through which an envelope is adapted to be pushed and pulled,

a water container removably mounted in said\casing, means for removably securing said container to the upper part of said casing so that one wall thereof will be parallel to and adjacent one wall of said casing, a comparatively wide moistening tape carried at the lower end of said container, and means for causing the kadhesive carrying portion of the flap of the envelope to'moveover said tape and in contact therewith, said means having a portionV acting'to press saidA flap against the body of the envelope.

4. An envelope sealer, including a casing, a water container positioned within Ysaid casing and acting as a guide Vfor guiding Yan envelope through the casing, a resilient clipcarried by said container positioned to normallyhook over the edge ofsaid casing for removably holding the container in Ysaid casing, a wick projecting from the lower lpart of said container and spring means actingk in the double` capacity of forcing the iiap` ofthe envelope against saidwicl and later forcing the flap againstthe body of the envelope. n

5. In an envelope sealer, a rectangular casing open at Y ing one `side free from its adjacent edge, said free side having a loop at the point furthest from said edge, means for guiding and inoistening an envelope as it passes through said casing, said meansv causing; the part of the envelope where the flap and body join to extend into said loop, and means for pressing said flap to a sealed position as the envelope moves out ofthe casing.

6. ln an envelope sealer, a casing through which anenvelope is adapted to be passed, means in the casing for moistening the adiesive on the flap ofthe envelope, anda spring member acting as a guide and sealing member, said resilient member being formed of flat resilient metal having a hook at the upper end for removably holding the resilient member in the casing, a bent section for forcing the Hap of the envelope against the moistening device, and a flat rubbing sealing section for resiliently forcing the flap against the body of the-envelope after the flap has been moistened, whereby the flap will be sealed.

Signed at New Yorlrin the county of New Yori; and state of New York this 19th day of December, A. l). 1928.

BENJAMN ZUCKERMAN, Je.

the top and the bottom and havloo liol 

